Deliruim 1 Flashcards
Delirium
An organic acute and relatively sudden decline if focus and attention
Can be life threatening and emergency
Delirium causes
Infection Anaesthesia Brain injury Poisoning Allergic response Medication side effects
Delirium type Onset Progresion Duration Alertness Orientation Memory Cognition Perception Sleep
Onset acute Duration hour to 1 month Alertness fluctuate Orientation fluctuates based on severity Memory recent and immediately impaired Cognition disorganised slow Perception distorted illusion Sleep twilight syndrome kr sundowners
Dementia
Acquired, organic, progressive decline in cognitive function
Dementia causes
Not disease but mental illness
May or may not be reversible
Affects brain functions
Higher function afftected first : problem solving
Disoriented tine and place and person in life
Behavioral ( aggressive depression anxiety
Dimentia. Types
Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Alzheimer
Cause of progressive dementia through plaques and tangles in the neurons of the brain
Vascular
Interruption of blood supply to the brain(stroke or cardiovascular disease)
Dementia Progress Onset Alertness Orientation Memory Cognition Perception Sleep
Progress slow but even Duration months to years Onset chronic Alertness normal Orientation impaired Memory recent Cognition difficultly with abstract Perception absent or altered Sleep disturbed
Dementia diagnosis
Doesnt rule out delirium
Depression
One of the Most common mental health
Anxiety
Overlooked especially in older people
While everyone feels anxious, some people feel this always
Depression and the older person
Older people tend to under report depressive symptoms which may lead to misdiagnosis
Physical illness
Alcohol and drug misuse
Physical, social and emotional changes faced
Depression and the older person
Progress Duration Onset Alertness Orientation Memory Cognition Perception Sleep
Progress uneven Duration at least 2 weeks to months or years Onset often abrupt Alertness impairment Orientation selective disorientation Memory selective or patchy Cognition hopeless Perception hallucinations Sleep morning awakening
Community perception is that older people have less alcohol and other substance related problesy
Not true
Alcohol and the older person
Symptoms of alcohol intoxication are very similar to delirium of other sorts. Misdiagnosis can work both ways
Long term alcohol abuse can lead to
Alcoholic dementia, lead to depression and permanently impact cognitive function
Suicide and the older person men
Women
Olderem rate of suicide increases as age increases
50-54 for women
Suciide and the olser person 2
There is less warning g, higher lethality , less history of previous attempts
Greater prevalence of physical illness
Reason Loss and grief ( widow) A sense of loss of purpose Hopeless Isolation Depression
Confusion
Uncertainty
Illusion
Alteration of sensory perception
Delusion
Belief are not supported by evidence
Hallucinations
False sensory perception eithout external or objective stimuli
Misinterpretation
Drawing unusual conclusions from information
